Biggest waste of talent?

[Chew BackAtacha]

I say Joe Calzaghe, He wasted most of his career fighting bums for peanuts in wales when it was obvious he was a world beater long before he faced Lacy.

i agree, im a big joe calzaghe fan

****ing frank warren, aparently joe was terrified of flying

[Chew BackAtacha]

All good suggestions, I believe.

A couple that come to mind might be Roy Jones and Naseem Hamed. I know that both accomplished quite a bit, I think they rested on their stats a bit.

Hamed simply never came back and didn't do enough after his first loss. Considering his power, he was always going to be in fights. I don't see why he didn't make the effort at the very least. Didn't train properly and hone his craft near the end.

Jones had all the tools. He just didn't fight all the fighters he could have. Calzaghe in his prime. Darius. Ottke. (God, I wish he knocked him out.)

Nonetheless, they both did so much. So, I'll give some other suggestions. They certainly aren't the biggest.

Ike Ibeabuchi. Whether or not he tried to rape that woman, he did have his talents waste away. Byrd and Tua both had a chance to get something done AFTER he beat them. Quality fighter.

Darren Sutherland comes to mind, as well. I liked that kid a lot. He had a professional style and he still did well in the amateurs. The only guy that even DeGale spoke about in a humble manner.

Salvador Sanchez was talent wasted, even though it was an accident. Still, he was great while he lasted.

Fernando Vargas, in a sense. With all that he did, he might have been able to do so much more if he had paced himself and let himself mature. Cutting out the Burger King trips might have helped.

Laszlo Papp and Teófilo Stevenson also might have been wasted talents. Stevenson for never turning professional and Papp had his career prematurely ended by a then-communist Hungary.

All I got for now.

good post, all though i will go to grave saying that tua beat ike over 12

still the best heavweight fight iv seen

aparently stevenson was offered big money to fight ali. i wonder who would have won?

i could go through all the names on your post to be honest

[Russian Crushin]

IKe

Bowe

Valero

[Jack Napier]

this may sound weird, but Augustus
how the hell this guy never became world champion?
journeyman, but definitely world class talent
too good to have lost so many fights
not all of them were robberies
he had it all, but somehow never got to the top
similar to Glen Johnson, who was far less talented but went farther

[Chew BackAtacha]

this may sound weird, but Augustus
how the hell this guy never became world champion?
journeyman, but definitely world class talent
too good to have lost so many fights
not all of them were robberies
he had it all, but somehow never got to the top
similar to Glen Johnson, who was far less talented but went farther

****, how can i forget about my favourite fighter?

good shout

you havent seen his documentary by any chance? called the 'journeyman', iv not seen it yet

[talip bin osman]

i always recall tony ayala everytime i see this question...

same with scott harisson...

imagine james toney, roberto duran and wilfredo benitez if they had the dedication and discipline of say, a B-HOP or PBF...

[B.U.R.N.E.R]

Ike Ibeabuchi
Zab Judah
Joe Calzaghe

[Die Antwoord]

Vitali Klitschko, still the greatest HW of all time, but we never got to see him truly prime. Didnt concentrate on boxing growing up, didnt have an extensive true amateur career, didnt grow up with great boxing gyms due to the soviet block gyms, didnt grow up with pro boxers as heroes, was 25 1/2 at the time of his first pro fight, injured 4 years in his prime, guys like Lewis retired in fear, Tyson most likely lost ot Danny Williams on purpose knowing that Vitali would have probably killed him. The guy hasnt been pushed in the ring since 2003.

Had he been born in the U.S. grew up a boxer, with his love for fighting, his iron chin, his strong heavy hands, his stamina, his intelligence, he would be considered by the masses the greatest boxer of all time.

[physiker]

maybe ali wanted to be stripped so he could duck frazier. ali was probably hoping someone would beat frazier so he could come back and beat that guy and claim supremacy through triangle warfare but it never happened so he had to face the music and got clobbered.

If Ali hadn't been stripped, he would have fought Frazier when he had his legs and would have been an easy win for him. Kind of like Ali Frazier II, only much worse for Frazier.

[-KPB-]

Would have to go for James Toney